Interweave Knits – July 2019

Dear Reader,

Remember hygge? The Danish

concept of “a quality of coziness

and comfortable conviviality that

engenders a feeling of contentment

or well-being” made its way to the

United States a few years ago, and

the trend resonated strongly in the worlds of crafts and DIY.

Ever since, hygge-associated imagery—lit fireplaces, cups

of hot chocolate, stacks of books, and knitted home décor—

has inspired people to create similar spaces in their own

lives in order to manifest that feeling of contentment.

Another concept that comes from Scandinavia but hasn’t

yet made the same splash in the United States is practiced

on Friday nights in Sweden. The idea is fredagsmys, which

translates to “cozy Friday.” The concept should be familiar—

many people appreciate a relaxing Friday night at home after

a busy week—but Swedish people take it to the next level.

They invite friends over, indulge in a taco bar (tacco kväll),

and then settle in for a comfortable night of watching movies

or playing board games. (Semi-related, not relevant, but very

important: I just learned about lördagsgodis, or “Saturday

candy,” and now I’d like to live in Sweden, please.)

I first read about fredagsmys in Linnea Dunne’s book

Lagom: The Swedish Art of Balanced Living (Running Press,

2017). Another fantastic philosophy to incorporate into one’s

life, lagom means “not too little, not too much, just right.” I fell

in love with both of these ideas and thought we all could lean

into them a bit more. To learn more about these great concepts,

check out Linnea’s piece on page 10.

Building a project story around fredagsmys for this Fall

2019 issue of Interweave Knits led me to think about what

makes the “perfect” fall weekend. I thought of crispy-cool,

sunny days spent outside with activities such as the farm-

er’s market, apple picking, corn mazes, and similar things

filling the time, and chilly nights around a bonfire with

loved ones. Whatever your favorite fall activities are, you’ll

find a wide range of projects in this issue to accompany you

as the season progresses. Cozy and lightweight sweaters,

textured hats and cowls, wraps and mittens, even a delight-

fully homey blanket—you’ll find it all in this issue.

How are you spending your weekends this fall?

Happy fredagsmys,

EDITORIAL

GROUP EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, YARN & FIBER Anne Merrow

EDITOR Hannah Baker

MANAGING EDITOR Laura Hulslander

SENIOR PROJECT EDITOR Joni Coniglio

ASSISTANT EDITORS Julia Pillard, Elizabeth Prose

TECHNICAL EDITORS Karen Frisa, Lori Gayle,

Robin Melanson

COPY EDITOR Dale Ulland

PROOFREADER Rachel Koon

MARKETING & ADVERTISING

ADVERTISING MANAGER Diane Kocal

AD TRAFFICKER Lori Hauser

SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER Jessi Rodriguez

NEWSSTAND SALES Scott T. Hill [email protected]

CREATIVE SERVICES

GROUP ART DIRECTOR, CRAFT Emily Simpson

SENIOR DESIGNER Bekah Thrasher

PRODUCTION DESIGNER Mark Dobroth

PHOTOGRAPHY Harper Point Photography

(unless otherwise noted)

PHOTOSTYLING Tina Gill

HAIR & MAKEUP Janie Rocek

BUSINESS

FOUNDER Linda Ligon

DIRECTOR OF CONTENT, CRAFT Tiffany Warble

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Kim Greenlee

DIRECTOR OF MEDIA SALES Julie Macdonald

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Gregory J. Osberg

SVP, GENERAL MANAGER, F+W CRAFTS GROUP David Pyle

MANAGING DIRECTOR, F+W INTERNATIONAL James Woollam

VP, CONSUMER MARKETING John Phelan

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EDITOR’S NOTE